Knitting machine, and in particular flat knitting machine

ABSTRACT

In a knitting machine of the type in which needle controlling butts are transversely movable in a tricked needle bed so as to be moved toward and away from needle displacing lock parts, and in which jacks are displaceable into a latching position in which they hold the needle controlling butts in a depressed position relative to said lock parts, the jacks are adapted to be retracted from the latching position by other lock parts acting on jack control butts. The invention proposes that the control butt of each jack constitutes itself a magnetic armature, is mounted for limited longitudinal displacement relative to the jack, and projects into a control lock passageway in which its movement is governed by magnetic controls. Each jack control butt preferably is provided on a slide mounted for longitudinal displacement in the jack, the maximum range of this displacement being smaller than the maximum corresponding displacement of the control lock passageway. The control lock passageway includes branches into which the jack control butts are magnetically directed.

United States Patent Hadam KNITTING MACHINE, AND IN PARTICULAR FLAT KNITTING MACHINE July 1, 1975 Primary ExaminerRonald Feldbaum Attorney, Agent, or FirmLarson, Taylor and Hinds [75] Inventor: Wilhelm I-Iadam, Reutlingen,

Germany [73] Assignee: H. Stoll and Co., Reutlingen, [57] ABSTRACT Germany In a knitting machine of the type in which needle con- [22] Filed: Man 26, 1974 trolling butts are transversely movable in a tricked needle bed so as to be moved toward and away from PP N03 454,904 needle displacing lock parts, and in which jacks are displaceable into a latching position in which they [30] Foreign Applicafion p Data hold the needle controlling butts in a depressed posi- Mar 28 973 German 2315334 tion relative to sald lock parts, the acks are adapted y to be retracted from the latching position by other lock parts acting on jack control butts. The invention 8 proposes that the control butt of each jack constitutes [58] Fieid 66/75 l54A 50 R 123 itself a magnetic armature, is mounted for limited longitudinal displacement relative to the jack, and {56] References Cited projects into a control lock passageway in which its movement is governed by magnetic controls. Each UNITED STATES PATENTS jack control butt preferably is provided on a slide 2 4 4/194l shelmil'e 66/1333 UX mounted for longitudinal displacement in the jack, the 3,0915") 7/963 Brow 4 4 66/503 maximum range of this displacement being smaller g z 2 than the maximum corresponding displacement of the 4 2/1973 36 66/75 R control lock passageway. The control lock passageway 3:77l:326 H973 66/30 R includes branches into which the jack control butts 3,818,726 6/1974 Wilhelm et al. 66/75 are magfleflcally (infected- FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 5 Cl i 3 D wi Fi r 309,465 9/1928 United Kingdom 66/l23 I54 153 151 152 23 Z2 l5 l9 14 I u 12 P H ll-TI -l l l I'll/l, q

v l r u My l t 131 10 11 16 1a 1 KNITTING MACHINE, AND IN PARTICULAR FLAT KNITTING MACHINE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a flat knitting machine wherein needle controlling butts are pivotable or transversely movable in a tricked needle bed and can thereby be moved into and out of the needle tricks and there are provided jacks which are displaceable into a latching position in which they hold the needle controlling butts in a depressed condition, the jacks, which are adapted to be retracted from the latching position by lock parts, having control butts which are coupled with magnetic armatures.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY It has previously been proposed to displace the jacks into the latching position through the medium of nonswitchable lock parts acting on the jack butts, and to make these butts so as to be movable or pivotable against spring action for the purpose of breaking the engagement with the non-switchable lock parts in the jack bed, by the action of presser lock parts. The butts in this case are coupled with armatures associated with magnets so that when the butts are depressed the armatures are applied against the poles of the magnets. Such an arrangement is disclosed in my earlier US. Pat. No. 3,715,897.

It is an object of the present invention to simplify the construction of the lock, i.e., cam, system and the form of the jacks in the aforementioned previously proposed knitting machine, and thus to increase the reliability of operation of such machine. This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by the fact that the control butt of each jack constitutes a magnetic armature, is mounted for limited free longitudinal displacement in and/or relative to the jack, and projects into a control lock passageway which is limited in terms of travel by magnetic poles of at least one controllable magnet. To this end the arrangement conveniently is that each jack control butt is provided on a slide which is mounted for longitudinal displacement in the jack, the maximum range of this displacement relative to the jack being smaller than the maximum extent or range of the control lock passageway into which the said control butt projects.

In the construction in accordance with the invention, therefore, the control butt of a jack does not have to be moved against the effort of a return spring. The butt is mounted for free displacement and is solely influenced by stationary cam parts.

The control passageway is advantageously provided with a plurality of selection zones each of which is bounded by magnetic poles and associated with particular parts of the knitting program for the needles. Deflector elements follow these selection zones in the direction of travel of the control butts and these act on the displacement jack butts and are able to shift the jacks into the latching position, where a corresponding adjusting motion has been applied to the jack butt at the preceding selection zone.

Advantageously, selection zones at which needle channels are varied are provided in the control passageway for the following significant phases of a knitting program for the needles: knitting and non-knitting, knitting and tucking, stitch transfer and non-transfer and stitch acceptance and non-acceptance (transfer lock). In the case of a links links flat knitting machine, additional selection zones for the following phases of a knitting program are provided: transfer or non-transfer of needles and acceptance of non-acceptance of needles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a specific example thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section through the needle bed of a flat knitting machine showing a jack in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional illustration similar to FIG. 1 but showing the jack in the latching position, and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a knitting lock and a transfer lock of a flat knitting machine and the associated control trackway for the butts of the jacks.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIGS. 1 and 2 the illustrated section of the needle bed 10 of a flat knitting machine is taken along a plane containing one of the needle tricks or grooves 11 in such bed. In each of these slot-form needle tricks or grooves 11 there are accommodated a latch needle 12, a needle shank 13 which is pivotally connected to the latch needle 12 and carries the needle operating butt I4, and a needle control jack 15, all these elements being longitudinally displaceable. The needle shank I3 is in the form of a resiliently flexible strip which has a tail end portion 131 of hairpin shape which rests on the bottom of the needle trick of groove 11, and a leading end 132 which is in the form of a pivoted head and which bears against the needle 12. The needle operating butt 14 is located in the zone of maximum flexibility of the shank 13. The butt l4, moreover, is disposed opposite to a latching butt 16 provided at the underside of the shank l3 and this butt 16 is projectible either into a latching groove 17 or a latching groove 18 formed in the bottom of the needle trick or groove 11 when the shank 13 is depressed thereinto as in FIG. 2. With the butt I6 projected into one of the grooves 17 or 18, the needle operating butt 14 is uncoupled, i.e., withdrawn, from the parts of the needle lock.

Uncoupling of the needle butt 14 is effected by the jack [5 which, at its leading end, is pivotally connected to a slide 19 provided at its free end with a bevel of a bar 21 disposed at the same level, this bar extending above the needle shanks 13, over the complete length of that part of the needle bed 10 which is formed with needle tricks or grooves 11. When the slide 19 runs under the bar 21, the needle shank 13 is latched in its bent condition. The latching is performed by the action, hereinafter to be described, of a control butt 22 associated with the jack 15. The restoration of a jack 15 to its idle position seen in FIG. 1 is brought about by action of restoring cams on a restoring butt 151 at the leading end of the said jack.

The control butt 22 of each jack 15 is integral with a slide 23 which is of the same thickness as the said jack and is displaceably mounted in a longitudinal groove 152 fonned in the latter. Each control butt 22 projects through an upper opening which has a leading abutment edge 153 and a rear abutment edge 154. The said butt is thus able to move freely in the longitudinal direction within jack between the two abutment edges 153 and 154.

FIG. 3 shows the more important needle operating cams of the knitting lock and the transfer lock of the illustrated flat knitting machine. The important cams of the knitting lock are indicated by the numerals 26, 27, 28 and 29. The lock channel is designated 30. The transfer lock is defined by the cams 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35. Depressions 291 and 331 in the lock parts 29 and 33 may serve to correct the disposition of the needles l2 uncoupled by the needle operating butts 14. In addition, the locks have a number of restoring cams 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 for action on the restoring butts 151 of the jacks 15. The earns 36 and 38 of the knitting lock are pivotable in the bed of the lock against spring action because they are only required to be effective in the direction of travel of the carriage. The depression takes place automatically when the restoring butts 151 of the jacks 15 run on to the bevels 361 and 381. Also illustrated in FIG. 3 is a control passageway 42 for the control butts 22 of the jacks 15.

This control passageway 42 has a number of branches by virtue of it being divided by a plurality of deflector elements or switch lock parts 43 into runthrough branches such as 421 and jack advancing branches such as 422. In conjunction with the passageway 42 there are provided, on at least one side, permanent magnets 44 having in advance thereof in the runthrough direction thin control magnets 45 which are energised in accordance with the intended pattern. At the beginning and at the end of any branch 422 the control passageway 42 consists of an extension of one of the runthrough branches 421.

The permanent magnets 44 are arranged to attract the control butts 22 of the jacks 15 and hold them at that side of the lock passageway 42 to which they have been brought by the energised control magents 45. If a control butt 22 is conducted into a runthrough branch 421, this butt is positioned between and clear of the abutment edges 153 and 154 of the opening in the jack through which said butt protrudes: as a result, the jack is held in its idle position as seen in FIG. 1 and the shank 13 of the associated needle is not bowed. Consequently, the needle operating butt 14 remains coupled in the cam passageway 30 or 30a of the knitting lock or the transfer lock respectively so that the needle is affected by relevant ones of the earns 26 to 35. If, on the other hand, a control butt 22 is deflected into a branch 422 at a switching point appropriate energisation of the relevant electromagnet 45, the said butt will be urged against the leading abutment edge 153 of the jack opening as a result of which this jack will be shifted to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 so that the corresponding slide 19 runs under the bar 21 and the needle shank 13 is bent into the needle trick or groove 11. Consequently, the operating butt 14 of the corresponding needle is withdrawn from the zone of influence of the cams 26 to 35, as seen in FIG. 2. A jack 15 remains in the position shown in FIG. 2 until the next following restoring cam included in the earns 36 to 41 engages the restoring butt 151 of the jack and moves the latter back into its idle position seen in FIG. 1.

As is apparent from FIG. 3, the deflection zones of the control lock passageway 42, equipped with the permanent magnets 44 and the control magnets 45 which latter are energisable as determined by the pattern, are disclosed at the pertinent parts of the needle lock channel 30. These pertinent parts are indicated as hatched areas A, B, C, D, E and F in the channel 30 or 30a. Thus, in these areas uncoupling and arrest of the needles 12 can take place selectively in accordance with the programmed energisation of the control magnets 45.

At the end of the lock passageway 42 in the carriage of the machine (not shown in FIG. 3) there is no runthrough branch 421 but only an operating branch 423 which is bounded by a special advancing cam 46. By this means, at the termination of the passageway through the locks all the jacks 15 are brought into the latching position seen in FIG. 2, and all the needles are thereby held by the latching butts 16 of the flexible needle shanks 13 against undesirable movement in the longitudinal direction.

What 1 claim is:

1. In a flat knitting machine having needle controlling butts which are movable transversely in a tricked needle bed and can thereby be moved out of the needle tricks relative to controlling lock parts, and jacks which are displaceable into a latching position in which they hold the needle controlling butts in a depressed position relative to said lock parts, the jacks, which are arranged to be retracted from the latching positron by other lock parts, having control butts, the improvement wherein the control butt of each jack constitutes itself a magnetic armature, the control butt of each jack is provided on a slide mounted for longitudinal displacement in the jack, the maximum range of this displacement being smaller than the maximum corresponding extent of the control lock passageway into which the said control butt projects, such that the control butt of each jack is mounted for limited longitudinal displacement relative to the jack, and projects into a control lock passageway which is defined in terms of travel by magnetic poles of at least one controllable magnet, said control lock passageway having a plurality of selection zones, controlled by magnetic poles and associated with particular phases of a knitting program for the needles, which selection zones are followed in the direction of travel of the jack control butts by deflector elements, and there being arranged at the end of the said control lock passageway an advancing cam which brings about displacement of all the jacks into their latching positions.

2. A flat knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein there are provided in the control lock passageway selection zones at which the needle channels are varied for knitting and non-knitting, knitting and tucking, stitch transfer and non-transfer and stitch acceptance and non-acceptance.

3. A links-links flat knitting machine according to claim 2, wherein additional selector zones for the following phases of a knitting program are provided: transfer or non-transfer of needles and acceptance or non-acceptance of needles.

4. A flat knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said control lock passageway includes, disposed along its length, at least one branch passageway departing from and rejoining the main control lock passageway such that each jack control butt can move through said branch passageway or the main passageway to selectively effect, or not, displacement of said jack into a latching position, the maximum distance be- 6 permit said magnetic influence to move said jack control butt, independently of said jack, sufficiently to ensure movement of said jack through the selected one of said branch passageway or said main passageway, the displacement of said jack control butt and its jack thereafter being governed substantially by cam surfaces in said control lock passageway. 

1. In a flat knitting machine having needle controlling butts which are movable transversely in a tricked needle bed and can thereby be moved out of the needle tricks relative to controlling lock parts, and jacks which are displaceable into a latching position in which they hold the needle controlling butts in a depressed position relative to said lock parts, the jacks, which are arranged to be retracted from the latching position by other lock parts, having control butts, the improvement wherein the control butt of each jack constitutes itself a magnetic armature, the control butt of each jack is provided on a slide mounted for longitudinal displacement in the jack, the maximum range of this displacement being smaller than the maximum corresponding extent of the control lock passageway into which the said control butt projects, such that the control butt of each jack is mounted for limited longitudinal displacement relative to the jack, and projects into a control lock passageway which is defined in terms of travel by magnetic poles of at least one controllable magnet, said control lock passageway having a plurality of selection zones, controlled by magnetic poles and associated with particular phases of a knitting program for the needles, which selection zones are followed in the direction of travel of the jack control butts by deflector elements, and there being arranged at the end of the said control lock passageway an advancing cam which brings about displacement of all the jacks into their latching positions.
 2. A flat knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein there are provided in the control lock passageway selection zones at which the needle channels are varied for knitting and non-knitting, knitting and tucking, stitch transfer and non-transfer and stitch acceptance and non-acceptance.
 3. A links-links flat knitting machine according to claim 2, wherein additional selector zones for the following phases of a knitting program are provided: transfer or non-transfer of needles and acceptance or non-acceptance of needles.
 4. A flat knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said control lock passageway includes, disposed along its length, at least one branch passageway departing from and rejoining the main control lock passageway such that each jack control butt can move through said branch passageway or the main passageway to selectively effect, or not, displacement of said jack into a latching position, the maximum distance between said branch passageway and said main passageway defining said corresponding maximum extent of the control lock passageway, and wherein said magnetic poles selectively influence said jack control butt to move through said branch passageway or said main passageway.
 5. A flat knitting machine according to claim 4 wherein the maximum range of displacement of said jack control butt relative to said jack is sufficient to permit said magnetic influence to move said jack control butt, independently of said jack, sufficiently to ensure movement of said jack through the selected one of said branch passageway or said main passageway, the displacement of said jack control butt and its jack thereafter being governed substantially by cam surfaces in said control lock passageway. 